ACT scores are flat

Submitted by Scott Jaschik on August 22, 2012 - 3:00am

Scores on the ACT were flat this year -- with a 21.1 composite average, identical to last year's. Within the four parts of the ACT, the only one to change from 2011 to 2012 was English, which dropped to 20.5 from 20.6

The level scores this year reflect a trend of the last five years. Since 2008, the only year that the composite score has not been 21.1 was 2010, when the composite was 21.0. ACT officials noted, however, that during the last five years, the number of high school students taking the ACT increased by 17 percent, and that these students reflected a more diverse population. Generally, when the testing pool expands, educators expect to see slight declines in scores, so the stability in scores can be seen as a gain of sorts.

As has been the case in recent years, the data from ACT show that students who take a college preparatory curriculum do better on the ACT, section by section, than those who don't. But the share of students who complete that recommended curriculum has also been relatively flat for the last five years.

Only 25 percent of all ACT test-takers have met benchmarks for college preparation in English, reading, mathematics and science this year, the same percentage as last year. The highest preparation levels are in English (67 percent) and the lowest in science (31 percent). By race/ethnicity, Asian students (at 42 percent) are more likely than all other groups to have met college preparation goals in all four subjects. For other groups, the figures are white (32 percent), Pacific islander (17 percent), Hispanic (13 percent), American Indian (11 percent) and black (5 percent).

Given those figures, it is not surprising that ACT scores continue to show notable racial and ethnic gaps. Asians have the highest composite score and have shown the most growth in scores in the last five years.

ACT Composite Score Averages, by Race/Ethnicity

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

African American

16.9

16.9

16.9

17.0

17.0

American Indian

19.0

18.9

19.0

18.6

18.4

Asian

22.9

23.2

23.4

23.6

23.6

Hispanic

18.7

18.7

18.6

18.7

18.9

White

22.1

22.2

22.3

22.4

22.4

The College Board typically releases data on SAT scores shortly after the ACT averages come out.